Into the Storm - Melanie Moreland

Book:  Into the Storm

Author: Melanie Moreland

Publication Date: November 23, 2013

Type: Stand-Alone

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

ARC provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

She is a woman on the run. Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is headed doesn't matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has become. 

Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear. It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.

One dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He finds himself with an unexpected house guest with no memory. She wakes up a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is an enigma to both of them. 

Trapped by the storm and isolated from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love, until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart. 

There are many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart. 

A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.

"I feel it, too, Rabbit.  I finally found it as well.""What is it?"I lifted my head and locked my gaze on hers."Home, my beautiful girl.  I finally found my home."

Review

Here we have 2 characters who need to find security and help in life.  

Joshua is a famous writer who after suffering a brutal attack has become an agoraphobic.  He lives alone with his dog and a leg which was shattered during his attack.  He suffers from debilitating  pain if he uses the leg too much.

Elizabeth (Rabbit) lives in a world of submission (not sexual) to her husband.  She is tragically beaten time after time if she oversteps any type of rules he has put into place.  She has no clue who she is anymore besides being his steadfast arm candy molded into a "Stepford" wife.

These two lives collide together to form the most beautiful love story written presently.  Rabbit helps Joshua overcome his fears and desire to be alone.  While Joshua opens Rabbit up to living life fully with laughter and love.

It was after Elizabeth runs from her husband in a terrible snow storm that she loses her way and ends up crashing into a tree on Joshua's property.  Joshua rescues her but then realizes she can't remember anything from her past or who she is. Rabbit is also beaten to a pulp over her whole body which wasn't caused by the accident.  Joshua names her "Rabbit" because of how scared and skittish she is around him at first.  They are snowed in without power or outside communication for days while Joshua tries his hardest to keep the relationship with Rabbit on a acquaintance level only.

"You will beat this someday, I know you will.  Something will finally be reason enough for you to overcome what those bastards did to you."

That doesn't last long and the two shine while with each other.  Rabbit brings out Joshua's need for companionship and love while Joshua brings out the pure love of life in Rabbit.  It doesn't take long though that the snow stops and roads are cleared and lines of communication are back up.  It is then that Joshua realizes that his Rabbit is actually married and her husband is looking for her. 

My Rabbit was gone.
I buried my head in her pillow and felt the bed shakingwith the intensity of my sobs.
The dampness of my clothes soaked into the bedding.I didn't care.
Nothing mattered now.

Even though Joshua loves Rabbit more than anything and wanted a future with her, he does the right thing and forces her to go back.  But back to what?  Rabbit still doesn't know who she is or what type of husband she is forced back to.

The story just unfolds from there on what will happen to Joshua and Rabbit when they are separated. What will happen when Rabbit remembers everything about her past?  Will Joshua ever find out he sent her back to a monster?  And if so, how will could he possibly rescue her if he ends up in a panic attack when venturing anywhere close to the property line?

How was I going to stop her heart from breaking when mine wasbreaking right along with it?

These questions and more are answered in this love story.

Wrap Up

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the first 85-90% but then it seemed there was too much fluff at the end.  I believe if the author ended it before around that mark or shortened it a bit, it would be an instant success.

With that said, I still loved the book and the story of Rabbit and Joshua.  It was a beautiful romance with a bit of suspense added in. 

About this Author

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and fur children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. 

Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works for the sporting teams of a local university. Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. 

Melanie delights in writing a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines to her even more inspired tales, for all to enjoy.

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